


Obligatory Charity Work

by simplyambyy



Series: A Celebration of Buddie [8]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: M/M, buck with kids, this is mostly musings in eddie's head, toy drive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21886354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplyambyy/pseuds/simplyambyy
Summary: It's time for the annual toy drive and Eddie is starting to see Buck in a different light.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: A Celebration of Buddie [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562698
Comments: 10
Kudos: 291





	Obligatory Charity Work

The annual Toys for Tots drive at Station 118 was in full swing by the time Eddie had gotten there. He hadn't gotten off of his shift until a little after midnight, which meant he was able to get five hours of sleep before having to get up and get Christopher ready for school. Afterwards, Eddie found some grub, took care of much-needed laundry and grocery shopping before passing out on the couch again.

Around half-past-two, Eddie made his way to Arcadia Preparatory Academy (also known as APA or Arcadia Prep), the pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade private school to pick up Christopher who was chattering away the entire car ride to the station about a new classmate and friend he had made. 

It made Eddie so proud that Christopher was making friends and having fun outside of his small family of him, his abuelita, his tía, Buck and Carla. He often worried about Christopher and the new school, whether he liked it or not, if the teachers were patient, if the other kids were nice. His son had never gave him any reason to be overly-concerned, but it was Eddie's job to fret over his son's safety and happiness. 

Eddie thought about bringing Christopher to the drive, but when his son was this excited, it meant there was an afternoon nap coming soon for the nine-year-old and the firehouse was not a good place for that. So instead, Eddie took his son across town to his tía's house and promised to be back in a few hours once the drive was over to pick him up. She made him promise to stay for dinner afterwards and Eddie was not dumb enough to turn down a good home-cooked meal, especially one not made by himself.

The station was packed with firefighters, kids and their family, and of course, a lot of toys. There was music playing through the speakers and it seemed like the people on shift after he left went into hyper-speed getting everything set up for their guests and the donations they'd bring. The station was covered in lights, streamers, and all the holiday trimmings. An eleven-foot tree sat where one of the trucks was normally parked, decorated in bright lights and ornaments, some store-bought and others hand-made by the families that love and support the station.

Off to the side was a long table with light holiday refreshments such as cookies, cakes, and veggie trays. Water, coffee, and hot chocolate were also set up on a table adjacent to it. With his bag of gifts in his hand, Eddie scanned the crowded space for the familiar members of his crew. Chimney and Hen were easy to spot as Chim was near the snacks and Hen was showing off the truck to a group of kids. Bobby was talking to a couple of the parents, Athena by his side. 

Eddie started to walk towards Hen when loud, childish laughter caught his attention. He turned around, stopping in his tracks at the sight of Buck wearing a Santa's hat and sitting on a chair while being surrounded by about fifteen or so kids. One of the kids, a little girl who looked to be about two years old was sitting on his lap, eyes constantly looking between Buck's face, the kids around them, and the book the blond was reading from. 

For some reason, Eddie didn't approach. Instead, he leaned against the back of the truck Hen was showing off, watching Buck's animated reading of _The Polar Express_. Though he wasn't close enough to actually hear the words fall from the other's man's mouth, Eddie knew that he was using different voices by the way he contorted his face and the way he moved his body, mostly his arms and neck. The kids were smiling wide, laughing and full-enthralled in the storytelling.

The little girl on Buck's lap made slappy hands at his face and the blond laughed, grabbing one of the hands and pressing a kiss to the palm before tucking it down on her lap. Eddie's heart clenched at the action. He's seen the other man with his own son, but Buck with this two-year-old girl made his mind wander to dangerous places.

Dangerous places like Buck having a little girl of his own. Places like Buck reading her to sleep, teaching her how to read. Buck calling him at two in the morning because she's got a cough and he doesn't know what to do. Buck spoiling the shit out of her because that's all Buck knows how to do. Buck introducing the little one to him and Christopher, both of who would love her as fearlessly as he did them.

Of the little girl also being his own. 

Eddie shook his head. He couldn't afford to let his mind wander to places like that because places like that didn't exist and it sometimes hurt to remember that.

Sensing eyes on him, Buck looked directly at him and though he didn't stop reading to the kids, he did give the older man a wink with a wide smile stretch across his face. Eddie couldn't help but return the smile with one of his own. 

"You've got it bad, Diaz."

Eddie jumped slightly at the voice that came from behind. He turned, expecting to see Hen or Athena, but it was Lena. He hadn't seen her in a few months since things went to shit between them, but they had exchanged a couple of text here and there, mostly memes and jokes. Her favorite ones to send him involved cats because making Eddie feel like crap was one of her favorite pastimes clearly.

Smirking at her words, Eddie turned to glance at Buck again. The blond was now moving on to _How The Grinch Stole Christmas_ , this time, a little boy with afro-curly hair sat on his lap. He was a little older, maybe five or six, but it was just as adorable as before. 

Yeah, he really did.


End file.
